as proof, they argue congress and the president are already using disasters and war spending as loopholes to avoid making tough cuts. >> they are doing that on the one side, then proposing additional stimulus spending on the other side, and then claiming that sometime next year they'll come up with some savings. that's a very troubling formula to me. >> reporter: if a grand bargain doesn't come together in the next few days, we may fall off the fiscal cliff and then wait for a new congress to put the pieces back together in the new year. darren gersh, "n.b.r.," washington. >> susie: well, roger altman is confident democrats and republicans will strike a deal and avoid falling off the fiscal cliff. he was deputy treasury secretary in the clinton administration and is now executive chairman and founder of evercore partners. >> susie: roger, so great to have you back on "nightly business report." >> thank you, susie. >> susie: nice to see you. why are you so optmistic there is going to be a fiscal cliff deal? >> i would cite two broad reasons, and then a few reasons specific to the negotiati